Before to the 2021 season, the NFL is in the midst of releasing its Top 100 players list.
Deshaun Watson, the quarterback for the Houston Texans, is highlighted extensively for the second year in a row.
According to the league’s announcement on Sunday afternoon, Watson is rated 18th.
Many people were perplexed by the accolade.
In 22 civil lawsuits and ten criminal complaints, Watson has been accused of sexual misconduct and assault.
So why is Watson listed among the NFL’s top 100 players?
It wasn’t the NFL’s decision, to be sure.
The players, not the league or NFL Network, vote on the annual Top 100.
For the fourth year in a row, the players chose Watson, who led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards last season.
His career-high ranking of 18 is the highest of his career.
MORE: What you need to know about Deshaun Watson’s lawsuits That said, the NFL was clearly not pleased with Watson’s inclusion on the list, or at the very least, it didn’t congratulate him on his accomplishment.
Instead, the league created an extremely unsettling video to go along with the award.
It opened with this comment from the narrator: “Nobody knows when Deshaun Watson will take the field again.” It had zero player interviews, which are usually a hallmark of the rankings.
His future is in doubt.
But his talent is undeniable.” See the entire 87-second video on the NFL’s YouTube channel.
It’s impossible to hold the NFL responsible for the video, but given the claims against Watson, it’s worth considering why it was made at all.
The league could have simply confirmed his inclusion on the list and went on with its business.
The NFL has yet to decide whether or not to sanction Watson for breaching the league’s personal conduct rules, and a decision is unlikely to be made anytime soon.
Watson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, stated that the league has not yet contacted Watson or his legal counsel.
According to Yahoo Sports, “the NFL frequently tries to avoid contacting the defendant and his lawyers and seeking evidence from them until the criminal investigation is completed.”
“Historically, they’ve wanted to avoid interfering with criminal investigations.”
When the criminal inquiry is over, they will proceed with their own separate follow-up.
I’ve had no interaction with the NFL other than a phone call to say, ‘When the time is right, we will completely comply.’
‘You let us know,’ and that is exactly what will happen.”